


Painted shell, Healed heart

by Maluucious



Series: melting hearts & shells [2]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Cute, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romantic Comedy, Sharing a Bed, melancholic artist kevin, sexy librarian sangyeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27119281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maluucious/pseuds/Maluucious
Summary: "Tell me what colors you would choose to paint me."
Relationships: Lee Sangyeon/Moon Hyungseo | Kevin
Series: melting hearts & shells [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975063
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Painted shell, Healed heart

**Author's Note:**

> Who said its spooky season? It's fluff one here!  
> HELLO I'M HOPING YOU'RE HAVING A GREAT DAY! ✨if not i'm really sorry and i hope this work will comfort you at least when you read it! 
> 
> So this sangkev came directly from words my friend(s) gave me (if you pass by, hi, it ended up to be longer than planned, ly)! 😊It's the second part that followed my sunkyu called "Out of the shell" ❤️ if you haven't read it don't hesitate to give it a try! You can totally read this work without it though!!  
> All the works of these series will be linked but also readable alone!!🧡
> 
> I hope you'll like it!! Don't hesitate to come on twitter if you want to talk a bit <3 (@topazionmoon)

"How is that even surprising that I find him beautiful, everyone wants to date Juyeon or at least fuck him," Kevin mumbled, swiping the sheets of the magazine with a pout.

"Not me," Jacob chuckled from the couch.

"Me neither," Hyunjae added, his arms around the blonde.

Kevin rolled his eyes, ready to retort, but his other friends didn't let him the time to.

"We're not involved either," Sunwoo and Changmin sang playfully.

"Shut up, you're all against me."

The four boys burst into laughter, watching him sulk. He tried to focus as much as he could on the paper, avoiding a tease from Changmin who pointed out that he _really_ took his time on a page showing a nearly naked male model with a shrug.

"Let me admire some art!" Across the room, the other scoffed. "I find you oddly confident nowadays, Sunwoo must be something."

The concerned party's face became even redder, making the Canadian win that time. When he had gotten to know Sunwoo, the youngest of them, who he had heard a lot about, since Changmin had spent months whining over him when they were in Japan, he had soon understood that it would be his best weapon in their teasing game. If Changmin was not at ease with words, their relationship had evolved enough for him to take the lead and, if their affection in public was still shy, especially compared to the offensive explosion of happiness that was Jacob and Hyunjae's couple, they had all guessed how their relationship worked.

However, it didn't sort things out for Kevin who was now feeling like a desperately wilted daisy. With so many couples around him, the boy started to look even more in art books, taking multiple and endless breaks to scroll to his Instagram feed, full of pretty and unattainable boys, to avoid thinking about one in particular that had started to live rent-free in his mind, much to Kevin's despair.

*

_"Let's make bets," Kevin proudly proposed, sparkles in his eyes as he felt like he had found the perfect idea for this shitty afternoon._

_"Bets?" Jacob raised an eyebrow, skeptical, while Chanhee seemed definitely in, which wasn't surprising considering that Kevin and him tented to be inclined to play._

_"It's rainy and we have nothing more to do."_

_Next to the two Canadians, the pink-haired boy clapped in his hands with excitement._

_"Let's do some about whoever crosses the door!"_

_That's how everything started. Because of a bet, during an afternoon the three bored boys spent in the library-café Chanhee had brought them to, stuck inside because of the spring rain flooding the capital. Jacob followed them in their little jokes, silent at first, but soon played along, making hypotheses himself. From guessing the lives of strangers to the colors of their underwear, they were laughing like only groups of friends could._

_When Kevin came back to the table, waiting for his third cup of coffee of the day he had just ordered, Chanhee squinted his eyes towards the door, his face lighted up with mischief._

_"Him!"_

_Jacob turned his head towards the door, while Kevin could only take a glance in the reflection of the window not to seem obvious. He could still distinguish the figure of a light-haired man entering the place, visibly as wet as a stray dog considering the state of his black clothes, and searching for shelter until the storm calmed down. Jacob low key whistled._

_"He's pretty."_

_Kevin scoffed, slightly turning to take a better look._

_"Hyunjae would be happy to hear you."_

_His best friend shrugged with an innocent smile, a devilish sparkle in his eyes._

_"I'm just looking."_

_"Moreover, Hyunjae is eating out of Jacob's hand," Chanhee snorted, exchanging a smirk with Kevin._

_"Not just his hand, if you want my opinion."_

_"And we don't want it, Kevin," Jacob laughed while throwing him his napkin._

_"Ladies, focus!" Chanhee chortled._

_"You were in this too!"_

_The pink-haired tried to shush them but was as inefficient as them for a few seconds. When they finally stopped themselves, he was the one scrutinizing the stranger, which led Kevin to look at him too since he was now turning his back to them, waiting for his order too._

_"I bet you he's straight," Chanhee sighed._

_"It would be a shame," Jacob answered while taking a sip of his drink. "Deal, I'm sure he's gay."_

_Kevin scoffed and, as he was about to make his statement, he noticed the employees calling for the customers and scampered towards the bar to collect his cup, just like the unknown boy. By taking a closer look, he noticed they were approximately the same height, but the other was way stockier than him, the muscles of his back and arms perceptible under his wet long-sleeved shirt. The bleached locks were falling against his face in a delicate shade of caramel, enlightened by the lights of the café, and Kevin thought for a second that this shade complimented well his tanned skin. It was always something he liked to notice, the palettes of colors melting against each other in an explosion of delicacy or subtle yet bright stars, ever since he had started to draw. When he noticed the other had turned his head towards him, visibly curious, letting him discover the sparkling hazel eyes, he just offered him a pinched smile and went back to his friends, who were busy chatting. The dark-haired nearly thought they didn't noticed his return before Chanhee looked at him with a smirk._

_"So?"_

_Kevin raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to explicit his question._

_"Tell us how he is close up."_

_He shrugged, trying not to take an nth glance at the boy who had made his way towards another table across the place. This one seemed hard, tearing him apart between what he would have guessed and what a small voice would have wished._

_"Looking as hot and straight as possible," he chuckled, earning a whine from his best friend._

_"I would have bet on it!" Chanhee clapped happily._

_"That's actually what you did,' the raven-haired retorted with a smirk._

_Jacob seemed pretty disappointed. With a pout, he took his phone out, ready to mumble while the pink-haired's eyes wandered to find a new target. Kevin took a sip of his coffee, surely not his last one of the day, listening to what Chanhee had to say without really letting the light-haired stranger escape his mind, curiosity peeking through. If he noticed the man seemed troubled, he soon understood why, the second his cup touched his lips and the sour liquid burned his throat. He tried hard not to spit it out, coughing brutally at the strong flavor, earning a curious glance from his friends, Jacob softly patting his back to help him._

_"Too hot?"_

_Kevin hummed in response, looking briefly at his cup before searching for the boy who was visibly not drinking either._

_"Wait, I think they made a mistake."_

_"Wha—"_

_Before Chanhee could ever finished his sentence, Kevin stood up. He made his way towards the most distant table, feeling a soft burn take over his whole being when the hazel eyes looked up to meet his obsidian ones. Contrary to what people would make him out to be, Kevin was far from being such a social butterfly. If he usually made his way out of critical situations with puns and funny faces, he tended to be an awkward mess around people he was just meeting, his Canadian accent becoming strong enough to be more than perceptible._

_"I think there must have been a mistake," he tried not to stutter, a pinched smile as the other nodded._

_"I thought it was just me," the man scoffed, "did they exchange it?"_

_Kevin held back as much as he could the flush that could have betrayed him. The stranger had a soft voice. It made him think of melted drops of golden honey on a waffle, warm and welcoming, suiting perfectly the caramel boy._

_"I guess so?" he scratched the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly, "I got an Iced Americano?"_

_"And what did you order?"_

_"Something as dark as my soul," he badly joked, trying to hide his embarrassment with a funny face._

_The other laughed, slightly covering his mouth with his hand, and Kevin noticed how his eyes disappeared slightly, some joyful wrinkled noticeable. The only word the dark-haired had in mind while watching him was 'warm'. Everything about him seemed to radiate with good energy._

_"So that's why I got a Vanilla Latte with some extra whipped cream," he teased, making Kevin smile widen._

_"Exactly!"_

_When the boy finally came back to his table, holding the right drink in his hand, Jacob and Chanhee were looking at him with knowing eyes, silly smiles on their angelic faces. Before any of them could ask the first question, Kevin sighed and sat down, turning his back to the rest of the coffee. He could feel the delicate burn on his neck, which was enough to make him whine dramatically._

_"I'd say he's straight, just not to set my hopes higher than they should be, but I would love him to destroy me."_

_Following his sigh, the other two burst into laughter while he down himself in the subtle taste of his latte._

*

By taking a break from school to travel with his best friend, Kevin had joined a group of eclectic and chaotic friends. When he had met Changmin in Japan, during a party where he had been the only one willing to listen to his existential wondering, even giving in and debating with him, he had not seen at first what opportunity was offered to him. When the dark-haired boy then went back to his hometown after months of whining over the boy he loved, Kevin and Jacob had felt lonely enough to wonder if they should give in and join them.

At first, they had just continued their trip. They had separated for a few weeks when Jacob had expressed the need to spend some time with his boyfriend, which had let Kevin go to Europe, before joining his best friend in London when it was the right time, which was supposed to be there last stop considering the state of their savings and wages. There, both of them had silenced their thoughts when they were walking at night towards their hotel after a theater play, before voicing it when they fell on the mattress of Kevin's bedroom.

_"I miss Changmin," Kevin had whined._

_"Hyunjae had asked if I wanted to try and move with him," his best friend had whispered at the same time._

The blonde had smiled softly at the reference of their shared friend. Kevin widened his eyes, nearly jumping at the news with a huge grin on his face, soon screaming with joy. He had had a hard time sharing his best friend at first, however, after seeing how whipped Hyunjae was and how well he was taking care of Jacob, the dark-haired had given his formal approval, not without a threat to destroy his entire existence of the blonde was brought to tears because of the said-boyfriend.

That night, they had agreed on what had seemed like the best option to them. Joining their friends. With what money they had left to go back to Canada, they decided to change their destination and reached out to their friends to help them with the paperwork. As Jacob had already graduated, the question of college could not even be an issue to him, but it had been one for the raven-haired at first. Yet, after weeks of calling them, sitting cross-legged on the mattress Changmin had offered him in his place, and with the help of the newly-met Chanhee, Kevin had been able to secure his life little by little where he grew to feel at his place.

There, he had been able to end his master's degree in fine arts and psychology. He had finally met Sunwoo, both bonding over Mario Kart during a heated evening where Changmin had tried to beat them. He had gotten along with a group of friends that would grow each time a little more, and blossom slowly.

*

_Sitting in the corner of the library-café that had become kind of his sanctuary, he was peacefully drawing on a notebook that looked like it was about to fall in pieces. He was immersed in his music when he noticed a move in front of him that made him look up._

_"A Vanilla latte with extra whipped cream for you."_

_Kevin's eyes widened and he found himself unable to hold back the flush that suddenly covered his cheeks, considering the amused sparkles lightening up the hazel gaze._

_"Remember me?" the man smiled._

_Kevin cleared his throat, smiling shyly as he put his earphones back in his pocket._

_'You're hard to forget." His answer seemed to satisfy the man in front of him and he made a sign for him to sit. "Thank you for the coffee."_

_"You seemed busy, I guessed it was needed."_

_They both looked at each other for a second, a second in which Kevin painted in his mind everything new about the man. Far from the wet stray dog effect he had the last time he had seen him yet as stunning, he couldn't get enough of the delicate color palette dancing in front of his eyes, from the subtle shades of his skin that looked like a canvas for the warm light of the place to the amber gleam of his kind pupils that seemed to observe him as well. He didn't miss the way his lips enhanced his face in a soft yet dark red tint, like the fallen petal of a rose that would have caught Kevin's attention, like one of the few details that made a painting a masterpiece that deserved to be seen by everyone. The boy even wondered if he was the only one noticing it, how others could walk around them without grasping the mesmerizingly reassuring aura escaping him._

_Kevin's lips stretched into a small, shy smile, as he circled the cup with his hands, hoping to warm his pale fingers against the burning liquid. As he talked, he couldn't bring himself to hold the curious gaze and suddenly found his latter surprisingly as interesting as a bag of candies._

_"You're offering me coffee, yet I don't even know your name."_

_The light-haired chuckled._

_"You left too quickly for me to even say it on that day," he teased and Kevin rolled his eyes playfully. "I'm Sangyeon."_

_"Kevin."_

_A light appeared in the hazel eyes as Sangyeon grinned._

_"Nice to meet you, Kevin."_

_*_

On that day, there had been something in the way his name had rolled on Sangyeon's lips, the way he had said his name that had made Kevin blush a bit more. They had spent hours talking without any goal, their minds wandering in some invisible places and their chuckles filling up the shop that had soon become empty as the moon had risen in the sky. When one of the employees had politely notified them of the closing time, they had ended up wandering in the streets, Kevin well hid under his wide beanie and wide jacket, that usually made him look even more fragile than what he actually was. Even with it, he had felt the coldness of the night breeze pierce him, brushing against his muscles and provoking multiple shivers. Sangyeon hadn't seemed cold despite his thin jean jacket on top of his white top, an untied and useless scarf hanging around his neck, they had soon exchanged the freedom of the dark streets for the warmth of a restaurant, both of their stomachs painfully growling.

On that day, after debating on whether they should eat sushis or tacos (sushi won by far since there were fewer people in the small restaurant), Kevin had discovered a few things about Sangyeon. Firstly, that he was a librarian. After admitting it hadn't been his dream, and more a result of his successive yet failed attempts at finding something he liked, the light-haired had still pointed out the fact that he loved his job. Just like Kevin liked to watch a story appear in front of him from the depth of a painting, Sangyeon liked the infinity of possibilities offered by the books surrounding him every day, and he liked it even more when he could help with some advice, taking every ask like an enigma to solve. On another hand, the Canadian hadn't been surprised to learn the other was slightly older than him, yet not much considering they were only two years apart. He had learned he had a puppy named Natsu because he used to binge-watch 'Fairy Tail' when he rescued the poor baby who had been stuck in a broken fence.

Also, he had learned that Sangyeon was the type of guy whose jokes didn't always land well and that it could make him pout when he was understanding his failed attempt. He had learned that he was the king of man to always want to put people at ease. He had seemed to drink his words, while trying to make Kevin as comfortable as he could, and had asked him multiple questions to let him talk about him. He had learned that Sangyeon was nice and reassuring, curious, and bright.

Looking at his friends, who were still busy chatting, Jacob still in Hyunjae's arms while Changmin was discreetly playing with Sunwoo's hands, maybe thinking no one had noticed them, the dark-haired sighed. He turned off the screen of his phone. Suddenly, all the stunning of his app feed seemed flat, pale, uninteresting. To him, who wanted to draw the curves of a smile, who wanted to paint the shadows of the night falling on the skin, it felt as if they had lost all contrast.

With a sigh, he stood up to hide inside the bathroom, needing some cold water on his face. Biting his bottom lip, he took a glance at the mirror and sighed even more. On that night, he had really wished he had a reason for his hopes to be this high, or at least his heart did.

*

_Chanhee could be a pretty convincing boy. Behind his angelic face, the boy knew exactly how to get what he wanted. This meant that, despite Kevin's little to no pieces of information about the mysterious boy Jacob and he had met in a café, he found a way to know exactly what was going on. To do so, he simply went for the frontal way. Which Kevin had not been prepared to._

_"Oh, look who's there!"_

_Kevin was sitting at the librarian's desk, reviewing a huge book about expressionism, when the now-familiar voice made him lookup. In front of him, the pink-haired boy was smiling devilishly. With his button-up shirt and huge cardigan (Kevin was sure it had been stolen to Younghoon considering how long the sleeves were and had needed to be rolled up to the boy's wrists), holding a book against his chest, Chanhee could have looked like a random customer, maybe even a casual student. In fact, it would have looked like he was a regular if it wasn't for Sunwoo's presence behind him, visibly sulking and dressed up more like an Instagram model than a random client of the small library._

_"Don't tell me you've followed me there!" Kevin whined._

_"For that, it would have meant we had nothing more interesting to do than to wait an hour for you to come out of a library instead of put down your roots here," Chanhee dramatically rolled his eyes. "All that just to finally meet the boy you're head over heels for? We're not kids."_

_Kevin raised an amused eyebrow._

_"Jesus take the wheel! The Great Choi Chanhee is way beyond that," he chuckled._

_"Obviously."_

_Behind him, Sunwoo was trying hard not to laugh, not wanting to disturb the few people sitting a bit afar._

_"What he means," the younger finally said, "is that we didn't have anything better to do."_

_The dark-haired shook his head with a chuckle. He turned his head towards the open door of the reserve where Sangyeon was well hidden. The library was small yet quite enchanting with two wooden stairs leading in a circle to a mezzanine with soft cracking sounds, the huge bookcases in the same shade of wood, dark and warm, the soft lights placed correctly not to be too aggressive for the readers' eyes, and its passage towards the reserve, hidden under the mezzanine. Just in front of that was the librarian's office, where Kevin was sitting. It was a good place to see anyone enter the place or stay on the first floor, but also to access both the stairs and the storehouse._

_"By the way," Chanhee caught his attention by placing the book on the table, "could you register this? I want to borrow it."_

_The Canadian scoffed._

_"It's not my job."_

_"Sorry, I thought," the pink-haired pretended to be shocked, making the dark-haired roll his eyes, and Sunwoo laugh a bit too loud. "I didn't know roleplay was your thing, but I'd have expected something sexier than a librarian fantasy! Kevin, you had so much potential!"_

_The boy tried hard not to choke at the comment made by his friend, his cheeks red when he brutally closed his own book._

_"And you visibly have a fantasy about spies!"_

_Chanhee stuck out his tongue, letting Kevin disappeared in the reserve. The boy found Sangyeon in front of a few boxes, checking on a list that had to be sent to another library. The latter looked up as soon as he felt Kevin's presence near him, the pale hand brushing against his arm, and the raven-haired couldn't hold back his smile, like every time he was seeing the little stars in the other eyes._

_When Sangyeon came out with him to register Chanhee's book, Kevin was slightly hiding behind him, something he noticed he usually did when they were together. Yet, it let him notice the change on his friends' faces. As much as the pink-haired's grin had widened, Sunwoo's mouth had slightly dropped, his eyes passing from his friend to the librarian. A part of him wanted to laugh because of this reaction. But, at the same time, the small clouds of his insecurities were still there to make him remember that he must be looking quite bad. There was nothing to compare from the stocky man who had switched his casual clothes for a button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves and thin golden glasses, while he was still swimming in an oversized purple hoodie with a printed monster on the back, his hair disheveled as he had just put a cap before coming instead of styling it. Deep inside, he knew that neither Sunwoo or Chanhee would ever think that way. Yet, looking at Sangyeon who was turning his back to him to fulfill his task, he felt absurd, even if it was just his brain putting a trick on him._

_*_

_"Weren't you leaving?" Eric frowned._

_Kevin shook his head. His younger colleague sat cross-legged on the ground, opening a bag of muffins._

_"Sangyeon will pick me up."_

_The blonde whistled playfully, making him roll his eyes with a smile. Eric was one of the few part-time employees of the cinema, like Kevin. They had sympathized during an evening where the Canadian was handling the popcorn booth, the younger cleaning around. The latter was usually a loud chatterbox playing around and making everyone at ease around him. His curiosity and innocence were evident, showing through the glowing pupils that looked at everything like it was a marvel of this world._

_"You're abandoning me for your boy, I see the type of friend you are!" Eric chuckled._

_"Don't complain too much, after all, I finish early because Juyeon accepted to come," he winked._

_The younger's face took less than a second to turn into a dark poppy. Suddenly agitated, the boy started to look around in panic, eyes alert._

_"He's not there, don't worry," the Canadian scoffed._

_"You're playing with fire," he pouted, hiding his shameful face under his bleached locks, "you're going to screw me over one day!"_

_Kevin squatted to reach his level, a wide grin still on his face. He stole a muffin in the colorful bag, not really minding the sulky pout of his colleague._

_"Why? Don't you want to talk about your little crush on Juju?" He teased_

_"Don't—"_

_"Who's Juju?" a voice behind them made them jump._

_Behind them, Sangyeon was tilting his head to the side, the keys of his car in his hand. Instinctively, Kevin stood up at his sight. The light-haired silently, slid one of his arms around his waist, causing Eric to whine even more, while the dark-haired looked at him with a smile._

_"It's Juyeon," Kevin started to answer, the other looking at him with curious eyes. He was about to pursue when the concerned party appeared from within the cinema, making Eric freeze instantly._

_"Hm?"_

_All three boys looked up to notice the man who was lighting up his cigarette, his charcoal hair falling against his lashes which flutter to avoid the annoying locks. He nodded to greet Kevin as he exhaled the smoke, before politely doing the same with Sangyeon. Juyeon was the colleague everyone would have wanted, much to Kevin and Eric's despair. He was insanely handsome, to a point where some customers would even pause for a moment in front of him, his tall figure standing out compared to the other two, but he was also nice, willing to help anyone, interesting and unable to find a real flaw. After weeks of hearing Eric whine over how sexy the man looked with his cigarette lighted up, Kevin had finally met him and had gone through some weeks of crushing as well._

_Juyeon finally noticed Eric who was looking at him with wide eyes and his mouth open, certainly restraining himself from screaming. Before he could even say something (and Kevin was sure he was about to do so), the blonde stormed in with his empty bag of muffins, leaving the other three dumbstruck, not able to react in time._

*

Meeting Juyeon as Sangyeon was picking him up had revealed itself to be quite funny but comforting as well. Especially to Kevin. If he had always been hidden behind Jacob, who had now little to no time for him nowadays, his heart had warmed up when the librarian had held him closer. The move had been subtle, yet noticeable, protecting him in an embrace that felt like a small bubble separating him from anyone who would have torn them apart.

Juyeon's eyes hadn't missed anything, and Kevin blushed a bit when the man smirked. His hand going through the silky dark locks to push them in the back, his colleague looked at Sangyeon's hand before talking, a pleasant smile on his face.

_"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," he had pointed out, exhaling the smoke._

Kevin had felt a burning sensation spread in his whole body, a sense of panic waking up. Yet, before he could deny anything, Juyeon had continued, fully aware of the deadly glare thrown at him by the librarian, who seemed pretty wary. This time, the boy had directly looked at Sangyeon, with only kindness in his gaze, since it was one of his most upsetting qualities. Also, contrary to what the light-haired seemed to think, Juyeon wasn't interested at all. However, Kevin had (maybe) let it slip something about the small "crush era", not expecting them to meet at that time.

_"Come anytime! We'll give you a discount if the boss is there! Otherwise, it's free for the lovers," he had added with a smile that relaxed softly Kevin._

Yet, he was still a huge ball of iced panic, only calm because Sangyeon was still holding him close. Since nothing had ever been established between them, it felt like a giant hole had opened under his feet. Between what he had wanted to answer, but didn't know if he was able to, and what he should have said, he had felt trapped.

_"We're not— I mean—" he had stuttered under Juyeon's curious stare, trying to rely even more on the presence near him._

_"Oh, sorry, I thought," the dark-haired had apologized with surprised eyes. "You look good together though."_

Sangyeon had chuckled softly.

_"Let's say it's on the right track."_

While the smallest boy had nearly choked at the answer, face burning as much as Icarus' wings, hitting softly Sangyeon's arm, it had made Juyeon whistle playfully. The latter had thrown the cigarette butt away and had greeted them before going in, mumbling something about wondering if Eric was in a huff.

Left alone, Kevin turned to look at the librarian, the older's hand in the hollow of his back. Diving into the hazel eyes, enchanted by the gold sparkles revealed by the shy rays of sunlight, he had searched for this particular warmth that had the odd power to disperse his doubts. He, who had felt so cold and lost in his own shadows, felt naked under the delicate gaze that had always tried to understand him, to take him in the light. From the boy always disappearing in his clothes, his beanie or cap covering half his face, he had started to emerge. Every time they reached a new step, something unlocked, silently, discreetly, in the depths of Kevin's heart.

_"Did I say something wrong?" Sangyeon had wondered. It had been clear in his voice that he already knew the answer, yet he had wanted Kevin to answer._

_The dark-haired had shaken his head softly, interlacing their hands in a delicate move, his cheeks still pink. The older had smiled at his move before gently kissing the back of his hand._

_*_

_"_ You look more confident," Jacob stated softly.

The boy was sitting on the grass, eating one of the sandwiches they succeeded to take in the nearest convenience store. Next to him, Kevin was sitting on the long jacket he was using as a plaid, looking at him with wide surprised eyes, one cheek round from the food he stopped chewing for a second.

"Me?"

"No, Changmin," Jacob rolled his eyes playfully.

"Well, Changmin too."

Kevin chuckled, thinking of their friend who had come a long way. From being a huge panicked mess anytime he would see couples to proposing to his boyfriend a few weeks ago, he had certainly pulled a tear or two from the two Canadians. He still remembered the afternoon he had spent sitting on Changmin's bed, seeing him depressed from not seeing Sunwoo, to the point he had finally come to terms with his feelings. All thanks to Jacob.

"On a more serious note," his best friend continued with the most delicate voice, "I'm happy for you. I was slightly worried when I moved with Hyunjae, yet I've rarely seen you like this."

Looking down at his lunch, Kevin felt a flush of pleasure warm his face under the compliment. With his friend pointed it out, he realized the impact of his last comment. _'I've rarely seen myself like this either,'_ was what he wanted to say, yet he stayed thoughtful for a minute. His now slightly long curly locks were falling against his face, surely hiding a bit his eyes to the boy at his right, Zephyr letting them dance a careful waltz. His dark shirt was also slightly moving along the soft melody of the summer breeze. Indeed, considering his appearance, he did look different, like he had never really been.

"Thank you," he muttered, his shyness not disappearing as his mind was already far from them.

"Will I be able to meet him soon, or is it too early for you?" Jacob wondered, trying not to push him. "Hyunjae is getting curious too."

"When isn't he?" Kevin laughed.

"Well, for his defense, you offered him the possibility of someone playing soccer with him."

They chortled at the memory of Hyunjae's wide smile when Kevin had pointed out the fact that Sangyeon had been the soccer team's captain during his college years. It had been during one of the few times he had talked to his friends about him after Chanhee spilled the beans.

"Soon, I guess?" Kevin tilted his way to the side, thinking. "I didn't think about it but I guess whenever you want is good for me too," he smiled.

Next to him, his friend clapped his hands happily, visibly excited by the news.

"You know," he started after a moment and Jacob calmed down, "at first it had been hard to stay alone when you settled down here. Because we weren't together anymore, not even equals."

Jacob looked at him, patiently.

"You had a place to stay and call home when I usually slept in Changmin or Chanhee's apartments. In some way, I guess I was a bit jealous," he chuckled softly, looking at his sandwich. "We've always been together but suddenly Hyunjae was there and not just a distant idea only reachable by phone."

The blonde looked down as well, his blonde hair hiding his shaky pupils. If it was hard for Kevin to confess how he felt, it was even harder for Jacob to hear it, he knew it. This was also one of the reasons he had kept silent because both of them had understood but no one had spoken. Kevin sighed. Jacob was the type of person who wanted to be there for others, to help them with their burden, but was scared to be one of these sources of anxiety.

"Even when we were still in Canada, I've always be hidden a bit behind you. So when our life changed, I felt lonely and didn't know what to do," Kevin added in a whisper. "However, I guess it was needed."

Jacob pouted and Kevin place a comforting hand on his knee.

"Don't feel guilty, Cobie," he chuckled. "I feel better now. Both because of you and Sangyeon."

The other looked at him with pitiful eyes, like an abandoned puppy, before hugging him.

"I'm sorry, little moon."

"Don't be, I said!" He scoffed.

"I'm happy you have someone now."

Kevin rested his head against his best friend's shoulder and smiled to himself, thinking about the librarian that now lived in his mind.

"Me too. You can't imagine how much."

They stayed like this for a moment, an entangled mess of apologies and cuddled before Jacob whispered a low ' _I told Chanhee this guy was gay'_ that made Kevin burst into laughter.

*

 _"So you associate colors with people?"_ This question had started it all. 

_They were sitting in the librarian's apartment, enjoying the warm sunlight of the evening that illuminated the place by the huge patio door. As neither of them wanted to go out during the weekend, Sangyeon had naturally offered to spend the afternoon in the coziness of the studio. This, the small Canadian discovered the apartment hidden in a huge building that let him wonder how people reacted when the elevator was broken. There were too many floors for him to even imagine going by the stairs, but this had the advantage to give Sangyeon a pretty view of the city. Kevin nearly ran to the glasses wall when he saw it, eyes sparkling with the lights he could guess appeared at night, a melody of colors playing on a black canvas._

_Kevin liked the comfort of this apartment. It made him smile to notice the delicate tones of caramel on the little touches of furniture, remembering the warm shades melting to create the figure of a wet man finding shelter in a library-café. He had soon realized how a pretty tint of pink would appear on his cheeks every time Kevin told him how beautiful he looked. To avoid any complaint, the younger usually kissed the corner of his lips._

_With his confidence rising through the months, Kevin had learned to discern the convincing power he had grown to have over the librarian. He didn't know where it all started, yet he was always able to convince him, always able to give him back the confidence Sangyeon had inserted in his tortured mind. Every time the dark-haired would perceive a shadow of doubt or exhaustion in his amber pearls, he was the only one capable of making a subdued light appear again. The same way the older had given him strength, he was able to put him at ease. Because of that, it was no surprise that Sangyeon finally gave up and accepted to pose for the youngest, who didn't forget to bring his notebook, even if he sulked a bit at first. Kevin was now sitting on the floor, his pencil scratching the paper in a chaotic rhythm, more focus than ever, trying to get every detail right, every feature of the man who had been allowed to take his guitar with him to relax on the couch._

_Actually, it was also the first time Kevin was seeing him play. And, to no surprise, he felt at peace with the soft melody playing in the apartment, Sangyeon's voice humming a song both of their hearts needed. Sometimes, the eldest would look at him with a small smile, and Kevin would have to scold him not to move too much._

_"But you're so pretty when you're focused," the light-haired teased, making the younger roll his eyes with a smile._

_"You can be such a flirt."_

_It was so easy for them to spend time like that, not doing much yet feeling full of new experiences. They were just chatting around while Kevin was drawing, yet it felt special. They soon came to talk about their first encounter, and Kevin confessed with a scoff everything about the bets, while Sangyeon admitted his curiosity about this pretty boy with a strong English accent._

_"So you associate colors with people?" Sangyeon tilted his head on the side, looking up from his guitar._

_Kevin nodded shyly, scratching the back of his head._

_"Since I paint a lot, I usually think naturally of the colors I would use to deliver my own version of people," he chuckled._

_Sangyeon seemed to think for a second, before diving into his stare, the corner of his lips slightly stretched. There was something in his face, in the intensity of his gaze, that let Kevin burnt and disarmed, shivering._

_"And what did you choose for me? What do I inspire you?"_

_The question came so low that the raven-haired nearly missed it. Its undertones had something forbidden, secret, that made him gulp and look away towards the window, putting down his pencil. He knew Sangyeon was still staring at him with this smirk that sent Kevin's stomach on a rollercoaster. Yet, if he tried to think of an appropriate answer, he was overwhelmed with every memory coming back in his mind._

_"Warm tones," he mumbled shyly, not daring to cross the gaze, "you're bright and warm, always willing to make people at ease and comfort them. And you make me think of a sunny fall day, with red leaves. So… Warm… Caramel… A bit of red too, because your lips are pretty dark," he added with a soft chuckle._

_"Good to know you've observed my lips well enough to notice that," Sangyeon teased, placing his guitar next to the couch._

_The joke surely made Kevin's cheeks look like strawberries considering the heat he felt. He coughed a bit, making the other chortle._

_"And you?" Sangyeon asked, curious. "What would you use to describe yourself?"_

_This time, Kevin looked at him with wide eyes. No one had ever asked him, not even Jacob. Moreover, it felt hard to think about it, as if two sides were fighting for an answer. If he was being honest, the old him would have talked about an obsidian black, swallowing everything, even the lights. Yet, with Sangyeon by his side, with his friends, with his new life, he felt like this answer wasn't correct anymore. Something had pierced through the dark stone._

_So, instead of answering, he shrugged and dived in the amber jewels that made his heart beat faster every time._

_"I'm more curious about what you would say," he smiled, slightly biting his lips. "Tell me what colors you would choose to paint me."_

_The words rolled on his tongue like a key opening the door of another world, unlocking the darkest gleam in their eyes, thickening the air. Kevin held a breath when Sangyeon leaned in to catch his wrist, making him let go of his notebook in a second and pulling the dark-haired towards him. The gesture seemed slow, both unable to break the contact of their gaze quickly darkened with need and lust, yet Kevin soon ended up straddling the librarian's lap, lips crashing against each other. Soon, the room was only filled with sighs of pleasure and moans, everything around them feeling hot and thick. The younger succumbed to the drunk delectation of his thin body held in the strong arms, as well as the desire of Sangyeon's lips devouring him as if he had waited all his life for the meal Kevin was. His hands helped him to support himself, leaning on the other's shoulders, when the older left his lips to trace his skin with sloppy kisses, from his jaw to his collarbone, marking the pale canvas with hunger. Kevin tipped his head back to offer him more freedom, his soft moans delivering a new melody for the guitar now lonely near the couch._

_Their bodies were claiming for one another, trying to get even closer than they already were. Their hands were grasping everything they could, their hips were meeting in reckless dance, and their lips were finding every sensitive spot in an explosion of fervor. Soon, their clothes seemed way too tight for them, and the couch seemed too small._

_It felt so easy for Sangyeon to lift Kevin in his arms, the younger circling his hips with his legs, their mouths unable to leave one another for too long, as he walked towards the bedroom. When the dark-haired fell on the bed, he enjoyed the side of the man throwing away his shirt, discovering a muscular body that Kevin would love to paint with his lips as much as with his pencils. He licked his lips at the sight, noticing the amber eyes that had turned into charcoal, desire filling them, overwhelming him. When the shirtless man came back to him, helping him to get rid of his clothes, he felt intoxicated with the appetite yet delicacy in every move, Sangyeon not rushing anything that would make him uncomfortable. Seeing a man like him want him was delicious, breathing a feeling of power in the youngest's veins whose back arched when the other's hand stroke his bulge through his underwear like a feather, teasing him until he pled him._

_As they melted in a messy dance full of loving kisses, needy bites, and reckless tongues, Kevin quickly learned that Sangyeon would have painted him with a deeper blue, the same shade of the sheets welcoming the mess he was becoming under the other's touch, the same shade of a night sky full of stars. As he scratched his back when the elder's hips thrust deeper into him, he learned that the librarian would have paint small cracks of white in within the blue, marks of hope and sin reunited. As their moans echoed in the sleepless night, their pleasure exploding in lights around them, he learned that he would have added stains of gold in his painting, shiny, desirable, wanted, important. As their hands intertwined, moves filled with a need they couldn't satiate, he understood that the only thing he would want him to do was to add a tiny bit of red and caramel in his painting._

*

Are any cookies good for a cheesecake? That was what Kevin was wondering when he squinted at the recipe on the tablet Sangyeon had bought him for Christmas after the boy had talked a bit about wanting to give a try with digital art. He shrugged with a pout, focusing on reducing the cookies in pieces. He remembered he used to be good at cooking back then, yet by thinking about it he realized that his mother used to help him a lot, at least to avoid him to set the house on fire by forgetting the recipe book in the oven.

Thus, after checking the hour and sending a message, he searched for his laptop in the mess of the coffee table, between sketches and books, as well as two cups of tea abandoned. He sang a small victory song he was sure came from ' _Mario Bros_ ' when he finally put his hand on the silver engine and went back in the small kitchen, placing it on the counter that was usually used as a dining table, so that his mother would be only able to see the kitchen counter and the oven, to help him out with his cheesecake.

"Look at you, you're so pretty!" his mother exclaimed in a high-pitched voice when he waved at the camera.

"I know who I have to thank," he chuckled. She seemed satisfied with the compliment and grinned playfully.

"I would have never thought you would have let your hair be so long!"

Kevin chuckled, putting an upper part of his dark wavy hair in a ponytail only two locks circling his face to tickle his cheekbones. Thankfully, Sunwoo had helped him with the undercut, otherwise, he would have never listened to his lover telling him to let his hair grow.

"Yeah, someone told me it suited me," he answered with a smile, looking around the place.

"You're surrounded by people with good taste," his mother affirmed, which made him chuckle.

Kevin missed his family. It was really what he was missing the most. If his friends had become a new family to him, he would have loved to introduce all the people who had made him bloom again to his parents and his sister. Thus, it felt good to see his mom like that, sharing a moment with her, but also to announce to her that he had saved enough money since his graduation to pay a visit during spring. He thought she was going to cry from joy when he told the news, the woman clapping her hands with wet eyes.

"How long will you stay?" She asked, her gaze sparkling even through the camera.

"Two weeks, normally."

His mother pouted a bit, visibly expecting a little more, making him chortle.

"It's been hard to find a date, you know," he explained while cooking under her watch.

"Oh, right! Aren't your friends marrying soon? I hope you'll take a lot of pictures!"

Kevin nearly choked with laughter at the thought of Changmin who was having a whole existential crisis about this wedding, his family wanting something way bigger than the two lovers had expected at first. When Kevin and Jacob had talked about maybe going back home for a bit after the wedding, Sunwoo and Changmin had even pled them to help them to elope.

"No wonder you don't want to stay longer, you seem to have a pretty apartment. It must be annoying to come back," she dramatically whined behind him, and Kevin tried hard not to laugh. "Is Jacob coming back too, this time?"

Kevin placed the plate in the fridge and quickly cleaned the countertop.

"First of all, this is not my place," he started, not reacting at the gasp of the woman. "For Jacob, he thought about it at first, but he's going to stay instead. Hyunjae and he are planning to take their holidays together this summer so he's saving as much as he can."

He turned around to look at the camera, obvious that his mother might not have caught the second information. He knew her well and he soon saw he was right, considering the wide eyes and open mouth that was transforming into a grin.

He was about to answer when his eyes were caught by the figure appearing from the bedroom. He couldn't help but bite his lip to hold back his smile when his eyes met the hazel gaze, trying to keep a calm breath. Even with all this time, he couldn't get used to the sight of the man coming out of the shower, his caramel hair still wet and disheveled, cheeks pink from the water's heat.

"Let's say I won't be coming alone in spring, that's all I can tell you," he smiled, not minding the small scream of excitement of his mother, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked at Sangyeon. The boy was watching him from afar, hidden from the overly excited mother, his red lips stretched, listening to the joy of the woman. Considering his apparel, which could only be summed up as a pair of boxers, Kevin quickly found a way to end the call before his eyes started to darken, drawing each curve he had come to know by heart in his mind. He promised his mother that she would know everything after his friends' wedding when he would come back to Vancouver.

When he closed the laptop, Sangyeon approached him to peck his lips, his strong arms holding the dark-haired against him. The latter wrapped his own around his neck, smiling even more.

"She seems pretty happy," the older chuckled.

"She is," Kevin smiled, "now she will try to guess who is the man I will take home."

"I hope I'll be enough for her standards."

"Obviously, dummy!" He chortled.

He leaned to kiss the older gently, his hands losing themselves in the bleached hair. Every time, the fruity lips sent him into another world, letting his mind empty and full at the same time, intoxicated. And, every time, when Sangyeon looked at him, he felt like he wasn't the only junkie, unable to let go of the other. He soon found himself cornered against the countertop and sat on it, welcoming the man in his embrace while the latter's hand lost himself on his hips. It was slow, lazy, delicate, full of the tenderness that had tended Kevin's invisible wounds. When they parted away, the younger couldn't hold a soft laugh that awakened the librarian's curiosity.

"You could have put on more clothes," he whispered with a smile.

Sangyeon shrugged with a chuckle.

"Someone had stolen my shirt," he teased, his fingers playing with the cloth covering Kevin's back, "I come to take it back."

The dark-haired bit his bottom lip. One of his hand slid on the other's chest, his fingers brushing delicately to draw the alluring shapes of his muscles, noticing the shiver on his body.

"The dessert needs a few hours to be ready, I think you have some time to get it back," he teased.

Sangyeon laughed at his comment but gave in, one of his hand sliding through the fabric of his shirt, his lips melting against Kevin, ready to paint him in colors no one had ever dared.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!!


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